


A Thousand Strokes To Shine

by icyowl97



Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Hair Brushing, M/M, just some cute fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-10
Updated: 2017-12-10
Packaged: 2019-02-12 22:54:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12970182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icyowl97/pseuds/icyowl97
Summary: Cassian has an odd request for Bodhi: He wants to brush his hair.





	A Thousand Strokes To Shine

There were a lot of things about the Rebellion that Bodhi wasn’t sure about, but Cassian wasn’t on of them. The man had done unsavory things for the Rebellion, yes. In some ways, he could be viewed as the epitome of everything wrong with the Rebellion. A brave, kind man, turned into a weapon.

But Cassian himself was different. Cassian was safe. He was like a fire, Bodhi thought. Dangerous to those who were his enemies, but warm and life giving to those who knew him well. Their team, their /family/ as bodhi thought of it sometimes, was small, and broken in some ways. But they brought out the best in each other.

Scarif changed everything. It alone made them a team, but the fallout cemented it after their names were plastered on wanted boards across the Empire. None of them could leave, trapped by the success of their own mission, and Cassian couldn’t go out alone like he used to, couldn’t go into Empire occupied territory. Feeling useless, he spent most of his time with the team.

It was inevitable that they would bond. They had shared a traumatic experience, they were all in the same area. At this point they were all but a family. But there were some things that surprised even Bodhi.

“You want to brush my hair? And braid it?” Bodhi asked.

Cassian nodded. “I used to do it for my little sister. It was relaxing, for both of us. We don’t have to, I just know you hate brushing your hair.”

Bodhi did hate brushing his hair. His hair was straight enough that he could usually get away with just tying it back every day, combing it with his fingers. Brushing seemed like such a waste of time

“My hair’s probably really tangled.” Bodhi said, plucking at the edge of his sleeve. No one had touched his hair since his mother had died, and he wasn’t ready, he couldn’t-

The air around him stilled, and he couldn’t breath. He was back in the cave, and it was the monster stroking his hair, his mother’s voice ringing in his ears. Everything was a blur, everything was pain. He couldn’t remember his mother’s face. He couldn’t remember her face.

“Bodhi. Bodhi, listen.“ A gentle hand at his shoulder, a gentle word in his ear. Cassian reeled him back in slowly, like he had many times before. “Focus.”

Bodhi surfaced from the memory with a gasp, lurking forward and falling again Cassian, clinging to him like a drowning man to a raft.

Cassian set his hand on Bodhi’s shoulder again, always gentle. He had done this before. And from the look in his eyes, a look the Bodhi couldn’t see, was the promise that he’d do it again.

Bodhi buried his face in Cassian's shoulder. The captain smelled like oil, metal, and dust. And to Bodhi, that smelled like home, and he slowly calmed down, his short shallow breaths slowly getting steadier. After a few moments he pulled away, finally feeling steady again. 

"I'm... I'm sorry." He mumbled, looking at the ground. "I... I..."

"I know. I'm sorry, Bodhi, it was too much and I shouldn't have pushed." Cassian said. "But the offer still stands, if you ever want to."

Bodhi glanced up at him, and Cassian's face was unusually soft and open. It made his stomach do a little flip flop that, for the first time in a long time, didn't have to do with fear. So he took a long breath, and set his resolve. 

"I would like... um, I would like it if you brushed my hair? If you still want to." Bodhi wasn't sure how to explained why he had panicked, wasn't sure how to explain that his fear had nothing to do with Cassian. "It's not... It's..... I can't explain. But I would like it if you brushed my hair." The last bit came out a bit forceful, and Bodhi cringed, but he just got a warm smile from Cassian. 

"Okay. But let me know if you want me to stop, okay?" Cassian said, and he picked up the brush from where he had left it.


End file.
